The long burn

After the whim, I decide that I need to make up for the whim, so I set upon a bit of a high speed, non-whim burn to Westport. So the next few entries are light on information and photos. Hence why I ha e clumped a bunch of days together.

Day 14. Condensed milk is my new best friend!

Lyell to Westport

Daily total: 69.15m Running total: 877.29km

Taking down camp was besieged by sandflies...so, so many of them. Still part of the long burn and heading to Westport to stay with Warmshowers hosts Don't and Robyn. Try were great hosts and introduced me to the world of condensed milk. Why did I not know about this stuff before?!?! And it comes on a tube! Theoretically, it should be wrong but it is not. A proper travel essential. 

There are plenty of places along the route to pick up snacks and liquids. A new cafe had opened up in Inangahua, about 20km from Sandfly hell (Lyell). The road to Westport follows the base of the Bullet Gorge and coincidentally, the road is named the Bullet Gorge Highway! 

Day 13. Just sandflies...

Kawatiri to Lyell

Daily total: 89.07m Running total: 808.14km

Roads, cycling, odd hill. Lyell is sandfly hell. Worst place so far for them. Conversation killer bad. People wrapped up with in an inch of their lives. Lyell is also the site the end/start of the Old Ghost Road Trail. So I did a tiny bit of it. 

Day 12. Sandflies, bees and wasps...

Motueka to Kawatiri

Daily total: 102.73km Running total: 719.07km

Not too much to report. Followed the main road from Motueka. Flat and fast. Cycled with a German for a wee bit. Parted ways. It was 4pm and I had 40km to go. It ain't going to be that bad. Hills and headwind. So bad. Some lass flashed her boobs as I was pushing my bike up a hill and I thank her for that. The rest of the hill was not bad after that. The campsite was at a site of an old station. It was also full of sandflies, bees and wasps...the stringing trinity. No wonder it was a free campsite. 

Day 11. Retracing old steps

Puponga to Motueka

Daily total: 115.01km Running total: 616.34km

Despite being told that the Takaka Hill is less steep and not as long from this side, it was a lot harder to make it up than the other side. It could be partly down to the 70km already covered but the decent is way more fun! 13km of downhill fun without a single car behind for the entire decent.